<p>just got my daughter’s ACT score from June 9. It was a revelation. Previoulsy she had taken SAT and surprised us - favorably - with a score just under 1200 = about the 75th percentile. She’s a good student in high school but not at the top of the class and clearly works hard to get the grades she has. We thought it was worth while to have her take the ACT just in case she did better. Her ACT score? 31 = the 98th percentile! Amazing! This one change in her credentials - in my mind - is likely to make colleges that were previously “reaches” now “matches.” No guaranteed entry but a much better chance for her. So any of you that are thinking of trying the ACT as an alternative to the SAT — go for it. Any comments/observations/suggestions/anyone think I am being too optimistic about the consequences of this?</p>
<p>My daughter had a similar situation, although not as high (the ACT was 28). She got into some perfectly lovely schools (NOT HYPS) with some very nice merit money. I know that her SAT scores would have made admission questionable and money impossible.</p>
<p>My son took both the ACT and the SAT. For all but two schools, he submitted the ACT only. He had good success with his applications, but we are from the midwest where the ACT is more prevalent. You might consult with your D’s counselor on the impact of that decision with regard to the area you are from. The vast majority of schools will now take either/or, but there may be some preferences in terms of geographical location of the student.</p>
<p>At any rate, MAJOR CONGRATS to your D on the fabulous ACT score!! That is just WONDERFUL! And best of luck for a successful college application process!!!</p>
<p>~berurah</p>
<p>Anyone who doesn’t score a perfect score on one would be foolish not to try the other. Although both are standardized tests, they test somewhat different areas in a somewhat different format. My advice is for all the not perfect students to take both, and to NOT have test results automatically sent to prospective schools. Wait for the best result then send that. Every school my son was interested in accepted both, although they don’t always say that.</p>
<p>My D had also scored higher on the ACT than the SAT. I think her SAT was around 2050, but her ACT was a 34. Her SAT scores were available to the schools, but they just considered the ACT for admission (the lower scores don’t work against you). I agree that some kids just do better on one than the other. In fact, my D refused to apply to any schools that required SAT II subject tests … she figured there were enough good schools to apply to that didn’t require them, and she didn’t want to have to deal with them!</p>
<p>A 31 ACT will get your D into some very good schools. Of course, she needs to have the whole package … a rigorous schedule of classes, top grades, extracurriculars, and good essays. The good score does really help, though! Congratulations to your D!</p>
<p>Yeah, I just got a 36 on my ACT. I’m not retaking my 2210.</p>
<p>Wise choice! :)</p>
<p>runforfun~</p>
<p>MAJOR CONGRATS!!! :)</p>
<p>~berurah</p>
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<p>It seems for the “base” score (SAT I or ACT) the ACT is fine nearly anywhere and considered the same. Where it might get sketchy is some of the outside scholarships seem to only have a space for the SAT (I’m on the east coast) maybe because they aren’t considering this factor as much and don’t know how to evaluate the ACT. But since she has an SAT score, and it’s pretty good, I’m not sure it will be a big problem. It seems a lot of these scholarships ask for the SAT score but IME people got them more with good grades and ECs, even if their SATs were a little on the “low” side for what would be expected.</p>
<p>
First of, congratulations to your daughter – obviously those scores are a boost. </p>
<p>However, I want to caution you (and her) not to make the mistake of valuing the test scores too highly – your daughter’s target schools should still be those that are good matches for her GPA & academics. The higher-than-anticipated test scores probably makes some matches into safeties, and it may make help get merit aid at some schools – but I’d caution against too much reliance on the score in terms of evaluating reach colleges. They are still reaches <em>unless</em> your d’s GPA is also a good match for those colleges. (You didn’t say what the GPA is, so I am just guessing that your d. is a B+ student rather than an A student from the fact that you figured the 1200 on the SAT was about right for her). </p>
<p>Again, the higher score is great news. My daughter was in a different situation – near the top of her class, but test scores were iffy – and she did end up getting into several reach colleges… but that all made me realize that the colleges don’t quite put the weight on the tests that I thought they would. They look at them… but they look at them in context of everything else. The problem is that when colleges see a kid whose grades or choice of high school coursework doesn’t match the test score … they might think the kid is an underachiever – which I know is NOT the case for your daughter – but that’s why a high test score by itself isn’t going to be enough for most colleges you would think of as reaches. Now if your daughter was looking at some colleges that looked like good fits but for her test scores— well then, of course the higher score is terrific news and may be enough to seal the deal on those schools. So maybe very good news for those reachy-matches or matchy-reaches, if you know what I mean.</p>
<p>All on my son’s list would have accepted either, but all required 2 SAT IIs. To go beyond semi-finalist in NM also required SAT I. I think the ACT is more straightforward than SAT. CR on the SAT I can be “over thought”–i.e. sometimes, if you “think too much” you may come up with the “wrong” answer. We sent all his scores.</p>
<p>My d is one of the other ones - she did much better on the SAT than the ACT. The ACT math and science sections killed her , even though she scored 35 in the “verbal” parts. I’m not sure if this is the norm for those students weaker in science and math (to do better on the SAT) or not. I wish she had not taken the ACT because we sent the scores already w/o knowing what they would be…lesson learned!
Fortunately, her top choice school will be fine with the ACT score anyway, but I was hoping for a better shot at scholarships : )</p>
<p>We’re from Georgia which is usually considered SAT country. My daughter did much better on the ACT than the SAT. The ACT better matched her GPA, rank, etc. She only applied to schools where the weather was warm. She only submitted her ACT scores (also didn’t want to do SAT IIS). She had no problems with any of the schools and in many cases got the top scholarship that the schools offered.</p>
<p>She took classes at the local college during high school. They have a separate academic advisor for the dual enrollment students. (He has to actually do the registration for the students.) This is a local state school. They had a chart they used to translate the ACT scores and he translated her score to the comparable SAT score.</p>
<p>PA Mom</p>
<p>I’m quite sure the schools will look at her best scores, so I wouldn’t worry. But we didn’t send scores until we saw them, just in case. The ACT is heavily timed–those who hesitate are lost. But the 35s in verbal areas are excellent and will be very favorably noticed, so you may be glad you had them reported.</p>
<p>bethievt - do you know if ACT reports the section scores as well as the composite to schools? If so, you’re right , it could be a good thing. She knows that math is her weak point so being able to show her strengths as well on the ACT might actually work out for her. She is going to major in Studio Art- so it’s not like the math score is critical for her major. </p>
<p>She just retook the SAT in June and we just found out that she raised her math score 90 points so that’s a good sign as well!! We were so pleased for her , because we know how much she detests math LOL</p>
<p>So far I have not seen any other poster say that the SAT was better for them than the ACT- don’t you find that odd?</p>
<p>might be helpful to contact the colleges to see if they require the ACT Plus w/writing if accepting ACT in lieu of SAT 1. congrats eli on your d’s terrific score. i’d encourage her to take the ACT at least once or twice more to see if she can raise it to 32 and above. doing so may be helpful if she’s seeking merit aid. </p>
<p>my d, too, refused to take subject tests. she figured taking the SAT twice and the ACT three times was enough test taking :)</p>
<p>We have checked the admission requirements for the schools in which D will likely apply and they ALL will accept the ACT w/writing in place of the SAT and SAT IIsubject tests. Ds SAT scores were good (but not as high, relative to her GPA and academic courses). Unfortunately, one of her SAT II subject test was low. </p>
<p>D is planning to take the ACT in September and report only those scores with her applications. She did not have her SAT test scores sent to her h/s or any college. Will she need to self report her SAT scores?</p>
<p>Is there a list here (or somewhere) of schools that accept the ACTw/writing only for the test portion of the application? I know some do. My daughter did ridiculously well on her second stab at the ACT and it’d be interesting to see where she could apply with just that (and her less-stellar grades) without adding in her SAT II’s (which track her grades more faithfully.)</p>
<p>I am not sure where to find an official list. I went on the web-sites for all the schools in which D is likely to apply. All of them will take just the ACT w/writing.</p>
<p>On another thread I believe a poster listed MIT, Cal Tech, Princeton and Dartmouth as schools that required the SAT II subject tests in addition to the ACT w/writing. Dartmouth is the only school on this list that D *
was* considering.</p>
<p>at the ACT website, you can do a search to see what “some” colleges have decided about the writing test, i.e.,“required, not needed, or recommended.” here’s the link:</p>
<p><a href=“http://actrs19.act.org/writPrefRM/goSearchInst.do[/url]”>http://actrs19.act.org/writPrefRM/goSearchInst.do</a></p>
<p>what’s handy is that you can search by an entire state and see the information for multiple colleges at once.</p>